A brisk walk could be a ticket to a sharper mind and more precise memory. A new study out of the University of Maryland has offered yet another endorsement for the benefits of benefits of exercise, especially for older adults, reports the Washington Post. Researchers studied a group of about 30 people in their 70s and 80s, including some experiencing mild cognitive decline, about half of whom were asked to walk briskly for 30 minutes four times a week. After 12 weeks, researchers came up with some striking results. The walkers didn't just have better brain function, their brains also displayed stronger neural connections—effectively slowing the brain's aging process.
“The brain activity was stronger and more synchronized, demonstrating exercise actually can induce the brain’s ability to change and adapt,” says kinesiology professor J. Carson Smith, the study's principal investigator. Traditionally, parts of the brain studied in this type of research have deteriorated over time in people with cognitive impairments and Alzheimer's, notes a university news release. The study suggests a way to at least curb that. Insider notes that "brisk" walking is typically defined as 3mph, though the speed was tailored to participants' abilities.
Subjects were examined with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure changes in communication within and between the brain networks controlling cognitive function. The walkers' brain connections grew stronger, and they did better on memory tests, particularly in recalling details of a story read to them. Researchers say the findings provide renewed hope that exercise may be a useful strategy to prevent or stabilize mild cognitive impairment and perhaps, in the long run, delay the onset of Alzheimer's or dementia. (More exercise stories.)
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